Old Mother Hubbard

In my English class, we had 20 minutes to write a story based on the first line of a nursery rhyme. This is what I came up with.

Old Mother Hubbard went to the cupboard. Why? She couldn't remember. She couldn't remember anything these days. Was Old Mother Hubbard even her real name? Old Mother isn't a terribly good first name to have for 78 years (or however old she was. Who could be bothered with such silly details when you have nowhere to go and nothing to see but a nearly empty cupboard?)

She couldn't remember why she'd gone to the cupboard, but upon reaching it, she realized that she was hungry. And it must be breakfast time, for the sun peeked through the kitchen window, which faced east. (Or was it north? Not that it really matters.) She was hungry, and she had some oatmeal, so it was breakfast time. She took out the oatmeal and looked at the funny-looking man on the box. He reminded her of someone..."Harry," she whispered to no one in particular.

Of course. Harry was a fine man, very good to her. Except for those days when he lost his temper, but those days were long gone now. Harry himself was long gone, but his body was just around the corner at the old cemetery, where he'd been buried some years earlier. Sometimes Old Mother would go there and talk to him. She knew he couldn't hear her, but it made her feel better somehow. Harold Hubbard, 1920-1997, beloved husband of Laureen, father of Thomas...

Laureen. Ah, yes, that was it. She knew she couldn't have been Old Mother forever. How did she become Old Mother anyway? Oh yes, Tommy's little friend Bobby. Smart-alecky little brat. Once said "Boy, Mrs. Hubbard, you're pretty old to be a mother. I'm surprised no one calls you Old Mother." And ever since, he called her Old Mother, and the other kids called her Old Mother too. Somehow, it stuck throughout the decades.

Oh drat! What on earth was she doing? Oh yes, she was about to make oatmeal. Now if only she knew where her pots were!